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The United Port and Dock Employees’ Federation, affiliated to the CITU, has condemned the transfer of the iron ore handling complex (OHC) at the Visakhapatnam port to Essar, labelling it an outrageous decision intended to benefit the private company and inimical to the interests of the port and its workers.
The union has urged the authorities to abrogate the agreement and take back the OHC. In a press release issued here on Friday, President KS Kumar, and General Secretary VS Padmanabha Raju said the OHC, considered the heart of Vizag port, should have been developed either with the reserve funds of the port or through a loan from a multilateral lending agency.
In fact, there was a proposal to take a loan from a Japanese Bank, which even the Centre had approved of.
Subsequently the proposal was dropped and it was decided to hand over the OHC to Essar.
There were many flaws and lacunae in the valuation of assets, fixing the upfront fees to be paid by Essar and also the project cost. In all these matters, the interests of the port had been compromised, the union alleged.
They said service conditions and job prospects of the OHC workers will also be affected by “the retrograde move” and the union will oppose any steps taken by the Essar management against the interests of workers.
A case filed by the union against privatisation of OHC is pending before the AP High court.
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